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826 X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS

said of another that he was a thief, the person making the
charge might support it by proving that the party accused
hed taken property secretly, without the consent or knowl-
edge of the owner. About evidence in a question of this
sort, all men of common understanding would form the
same opinion. But what sort of evidence would be neees-
sary to prove the first words of the indictment, that the
reign of Mr. Adams had been one continued tempest of
malignant passions? ‘The circumstances to which the writer
might allude, and which satisfied his mind that Mr. Adams
was intemperate and pessionate, would only prove to a
man of different political complexion, that he was under
the influence of a patriotic, honest and virtuous sensibility.
‘When Mr. Adams eaid in his reply to the people of Arling-
ton and Sandgate, ‘‘that he had long seen the exertions of
dangerous and restless men misleading the understanding
of well-meaning citizens, and prompting them to such meas-
ures as would sink the glories of America, and prostrate
her liberties at the feet of Franee,’’—some might conceive
that he waa speaking the language of passion and malig-
nity. Many were of that opinion,—he himself was. He did
not think that Mr. Adams could point his finger to a single
man who deserved a reproach so vile. It was language cal-
culated to exasperate the rage of contending parties. On
the other hand, he was willing to admit that there were
men of good sense and upright principles who really be-
lieve that the President spoke the plain truth, and that
they themselves had seen such men as he had described.
This was a question of opinion only, and therefore was
open to endless discussion.

One instance more completely illustrates his meaning.
The indictment charged the traverser with having mali-
ciously asserted, that the President had reversed all his
principles. If this assertion could be proved, it would be
necessary, first, To show what his principles were; second,
What they are now. The first branch of discussion pre-
sented difficulties absolutely insurmountable. Men of dif-

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